Seasons with Orpheus
by Gianduja
Summary: AU Hyuroi After losing his wife to a series of murders, Hughes encounters a man who makes him feel strange feelings of déjà vu. While trying to solve the mystery of his wife’s death, Hughes must uncover when and where he once knew this stranger.
1. Chapter 1

**Seasons with Orpheus**

By: _gianduja_

**Disclaimer**: Obviously the characters are not mine. Credit to Hiromu Arakawa and fma.

**Summary**: After losing his wife to a series of kidnappings and murders, Hughes dedicated his love and time to his young daughter. However once his daughter finds a stranger she dubs as a 'kitten' for their family to adopt, Hughes finds himself feeling odd and unexpected feelings of déjà vu. While trying to solve the mystery of his wife's death, Hughes must figure out when and where he once knew this other man.

**Notes**: I'm afraid that hughes and roy, and quite possibly everyone else I'll be writing in later, are out of character. Then again, this is an AU story that isn't anywhere near the fma Amestris or WWI universe. I tried to incorporate elements though, but I think I failed. Haha. Meanwhile, I'd love to know what you think of it! I honestly believe that there are an incredible amount of brilliant hughes/roy themed stories featured in the h/r jolly good ship. Many have made me a very happy fan, reading and reading, rather than writing. And now here I am with this shiny and incredibly corny turd. Hurray!

Cheers.

- - -

"Eeeeelysiaaaaaaa!! Where are you?!"

A worried father ran around with quite a harried look on his face. His daughter must have seen her favorite stray kitten wandering around and decided to follow after. Within minutes of being unable to find Elysia, Hughes was growing desperate.

However, before he could run over to the nearest police station and gather an entire precinct full of reinforcements to search with him, Hughes felt a small body latch onto his knees with a tight embrace. Relief instantly washed over him as he looked down to see a familiar face. Just as he was about to gently admonish his precocious child, she spoke up.

"Papa papa! Come with me!" a cute and beamingly happy Elysia giggled and stood at beside her almost heartbroken father. She tugged on his jacket, insisting he tag alongside her towards her discovery.

He picked her up and held her close to him, squeaking that she shouldn't leave him.

"I found a kitten, papa! He reminds me of Roy at home. He has soft black hair and sleepy eyes. Can we keep him and name him Roy too? Please papa? Pleaaaase?"

"How would Roy feel if you brought home another kitten to replace him? I think he'd be quite sad." Hughes spoke, trying to deter his darling girl from adopting another stray. However, once those words left his mouth she began to pout and tears formed in her crinkling blue eyes. It proved difficult to refuse her when such she made such a face.

"Pleaaaase papa! Our Roy kitty at home has us, but this new Roy kitty needs company! He needs all the love we can give." Elysia continued to pout and plead as her small hands cupped Hughes' chin, making his stubble tingle.

"Oh really? Fine fine. alright! You win, my love. Another kitten named roy shall be added to our family," he sighed and nuzzled her hair. Defeated he nodded and agreed to go towards the latest kitten she found.

It pleased him to see how happy Elysia appeared to be, despite losing his wife and her mother a few months earlier. While Elysia was in high spirits, he began to let his thoughts wander. He alone carried the burden and knowledge that gracia had died. At first gracia was pronounced missing by the authorities searching for her in his precinct.

The chief had been hesitant to let Hughes cover the case and assigned it to someone else. It was far too personal and he still had to cover series of murders regarding an arsonist that began previous to her disappearance.

Throughout the search for his wife both father and daughter believed Gracia would come home soon, smiling and warm as always. This hope remained until the day Hughes was told by fellow officers that Gracia was found dead. It broke his heart knowing that Elysia did not know the truth. Following such knowledge, Hughes closed his heart off and devoted every waking moment to his daughter.

A gentle tug on his collar tore Hughes from his brooding. Elysia stared expectantly at her father whom stopped walking the moment he retreated into his thoughts about Gracia. The little girl noticed her father had a habit of staring off into the space and stopping whatever he was doing.

Ever the thoughtful daughter, she often waited for him to return from wherever he disappeared off to mentally. Meanwhile, to pass the time she toyed with his shirt collar and then circled with her tiny fingers the outline of the small white buttons sewn on.

"Hehe!" he laughed sheepishly and scratched his head. then he leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Sorry about that my love! I was just wondering what to cook for dinner… but then I remembered how I much of a mess I made in the kitchen last night and felt really awful!! Well, let's go find that kitten! Where did you say he was?"

"Yay! Papa, he's resting in the alley way. I think he's really tired and didn't eat dinner last night. We can share our dinner tonight with him, right?"

"Yes, of course! Providing I don't burn tonight's dinner either!" Hughes smiled, feeling quite proud at how generous his daughter was. Holding her close to him, Hughes followed her instructions and flailing hands that led him over a bridge and past the park, towards a dark alley way, filled with overturned trash cans. Elysia began to lecture her father, looking a bit stern for her young age and sweet demeanor.

"Papa, I want you to be nice to mister kitten. he's hungry and smelly but has been very nice to me. When I was lost, papa, he founded me and helped me find you."

They entered the alley and Hughes noticed a shifting body under a pile of newspapers. The obscured lump was larger than a kitten. Not wishing to take any chances of harm towards his daughter, Hughes was posed to run. He was stopped by Elysia, insisting the kitten was hidden under the crumbled bits of paper and trash. Dark hair peeked out from the grey papers.

_'where is this darned kitten?'_ Hughes thought darkly. '_all i see is a homeless man sleeping under yesterday's newspapers and--_'

His train of thought was quickly derailed as Elysia gleefully tried to escape the protective confines of her father's arms to greet said "homeless man".

"E-elysia!! What are you doing?! I don't see this kitten. Let's go home. We'll come back tomorrow to find him!" he gripped her closer to him, trying to stop the squirming.

"Papa! That's the kitten, sleeping with the paper blankets. That's Roy!"

The noise and commotion coming from the father and daughter woke up the sleeping "kitten" dubbed Roy. He looked up sleepily at the pair. Yawning quite loudly, "Roy" sat up and revealed that he wore very little aside from torn breeches, a threadbare shirt with missing buttons and thick, white bandages wrapped around both of his hands. Seeing Elysia again made him grin widely. She waved in response, giggling shyly.

The little girl had wandered into his makeshift home, following one of the cats he liked to share his meager meals with. She cried and cried and cried, asking for the whereabouts of her papa. Even before the first tear was shed, Roy was drawn to her and wanted to help Elysia find her way back home.

"Hello again. I see you've reunited safely with your father." the man spoke with a kind and refined tone, one that felt out of place with the run-down surroundings. He spoke as if he were welcoming the family into his office or parlor, rather than a dirty and neglected street.

"He's nice, papa. he really is. He told me where to go back to you when i was losted! best of all i like how warm he feels!"

Everything up until that last line seemed innocent and somewhat charming. After hearing her compare the two, the usually happy-go-lucky father instantly turned into a collected and calculating police officer once seeing who his daughter had befriended. He regarded the man with a cool stare. The culprit was certainly a stray in need of food and shelter, however the friend was not the "missing" mother or cuddly kitten she described him as. His daughter truly had a vivid imagination.

"What do you mean warm?" his voice was laced with venom as he glared at the offender. Roy looked bored and was grooming his bedhead hair with his hands. Elysia rested her head upon her father's shoulders and sighed wistfully.

"Warm like mama. he glows like mama's cooking and mama's pies and mama's hands. He glows like fire. Just like mama!" she explained.

'_what does she mean warm like Gracia? i see nothing here in this man that resembles my dearly departed wife_.' Hughes gazed perplexedly at her. He then noticed from the corner of his eye that the man was staring at him with a thoughtful and serene gaze.

"I believe Elysia has had enough adventure for today." Roy stood up and stretched languidly. He winked at hughes before adding, "I am sure you agree with me."

"Papa! Our kitty roy at home stretches like him too! I'm sure they will be great friends!" she chirped as her father blanched both at the flirtatious look in the vagabond's eye and at Elysia's commentary. "Let's take him home today!"

"I would love to visit, however--" Roy barely finished his sentence before a loud voice interrupted him. It sounded as though it came from an open window of a neighboring building.

"MUSTANG! TIME FOR WORK!"

"However, it is time for me to meet my employer. If you will excuse me, I hope to see you two again." He continued. "It was nice meeting you father of elysia. You stay safe and out of trouble, Elysia, try not to give your father a heart attack."

"C'mon, let's go home and have dinner with the real Roy." Hughes ignored Roy and gave his daughter a stern look to prevent any further pouting or pleading before carrying her away from the man now known as 'Mustang' to him,' rather than 'Roy.'

Roy watched with sad eyes and a wistful smile as the father and daughter left. He felt a little strange for missing two people he hardly knew.

"This is payment for last night." the man who called him 'Mustang' spoke and looked reluctant before handing him an envelope. "Are you ready for another client tonight? I have a few assignments for you."

Roy looked annoyed at having more work to do, but shrugged and accepted the money and the job.

_To be continued…_

_- - -_

Thanks for reading this far. Hahaha. How is this stinker? Let me know! I will be posting the next part as soon as it's edited and ready to come out of the pooper.


	2. Chapter 2

**Seasons with Orpheus**

By: _gianduja_

**Disclaimer**: Obviously the characters are not mine. Credit to Hiromu Arakawa and fma.

**Summary**: After losing his wife to a series of kidnappings and murders, Hughes dedicated his love and time to his young daughter. However once his daughter finds a stranger she dubs as a 'kitten' for their family to adopt, Hughes finds himself feeling odd and unexpected feelings of déjà vu. While trying to solve the mystery of his wife's death, Hughes must figure out when and where he once knew this other man.

- - -

They met again the following night. Hughes saw the man dubbed by his daughter as "Roy the kitten" standing around on a street corner. It was late in the evening as the police officer was in a rush to be home with Elysia. Roy's condition still appeared awful to Hughes, despite how unconcerned he felt. There were obscured bruises peeking out from underneath his shirt collar and the shirt itself was already over-sized. Grimacing at the sight, Hughes attempted to walk by in an apathetic state only to be stopped by his conscience, presented in the voice of Elysia.

_"Papa, I want you to be nice to mister kitten. he's hungry and smelly but has been very nice to me. When I was lost, papa, he founded me and helped me find you."_

"OH. URRGH!! For the love of— hmmph." The officer grumbled before walking back to the vagabond, looking none too pleased.

"Why hello there, good sir. Fancy meeting you here." Roy the kitten grinned, looking a bit too gleeful for his own good.

"You are coming with me."

"Only if you promise to handcuff me before you throw me in jail for tonight, officer."

"WH-what?? No! I meant, you're coming home… with me." He finished weakly.

"Oh really? What would the other policemen have to say about that? An upstanding lieutenant like yourself taking someone like me home? My, my… scandalous but you are too handsome for me to refuse."

"WHAT?? NO! Keep this up and you'll be eating dirt again tonight!"

"I'd rather be rolling in the dirt with you than eating it."

"Upphh… No more comebacks. You're coming with me for a bath, which you seriously need, and one free warm dinner. Afterwards you're back on the streets!"

"I need no favors, kind sir." Roy's cheerful nature suddenly turned cold. He began to walk away.

"It's no favor," Hughes said stiffly. "I want to invite you because I'm grateful that you found my daughter."

"Ah. Sincerity. I see. It's hard to see such things living and working as I do in the streets. If it is the young maiden's bidding, I shall follow it. Lead the way."

"Young maiden?? What did you do with my daughter during that time she was missing??" he roughly grabbed Roy's shirt collar and shook him. The man looking positively giddy that he riled Hughes.

"You have a terrible mind. I am not remotely interested in her. I am more interested in her father however."

At that admission Hughes let go of the man's shirt as though he had been burned. He coughed and tried to control the blush on his cheeks.

"Of course I have a pessimistic view. I work as a police officer. I see crime everyday. What's not to say that you wouldn't hurt my precious daughter?" he scoffed, walking towards his home with Roy in tow.

"I would never dream of hurting her. You however should be worried," Roy cackled as he saw Hughes' face turn a lovely greenish tint. "Although hurt is a terrible word. Pleasure would be more appropriate. Yes. I'd rather cause you pleasu—"

"Stop! Please stop right there!! Cease such horrible thoughts!" Hughes stammered as they approached the door of his home. He fumbled for his keys when the front door suddenly opened with Elysia peeking through.

"Papa!!" she squeaked. "Oh!! You brought me a kitty!!"

"Elysia! What did I tell you about opening the door before I unlock it?" Hughes scolded her, but she wasn't paying much attention to him.

"Good evening," Roy said with a smile and knelt down to her level.

"Wanna meet Roy kitty?" She asked, toying with the frills of her pink skirt. "Lemme go get him! I know you two will be best friends!"

As Elysia ran off to find the black kitten, Hughes glared at Roy for taking her attention away from him. With the door shut, the house became quite inviting with a warm fireplace crackling in the corner.

"I hope you're happy now." He muttered, stepping out of his boots and coat. Roy followed along, toeing off the shoes that were badly scuffed.

"I'm content to be here. Happy for me would be you and me lounging together in be—"

"Whoa. What did I say about horrible thoughts?" Hughes put his hands up. "Speaking of horrible, that's how you smell. Let's get you in a bath, sans me of course."

"I'll win you over yet."

"Yeah yeah, keep on dreaming."

The shorter dark haired man smiled at that, allowing himself to be led into a nicely furnished bath room. He tried not to look too eager to be rid of his filthy clothes, but the prospect of finally having a hot bath was all too delicious of a thought. Once directing Roy on how to turn on the bath, Hughes went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

After a nice, hot bath Roy felt brand new. Well as new as his body could feel after being soaked in warm, refreshing bath oils. The scent of a home cooked meal pulled him from the bath. He gingerly dried himself off with the plush cotton towels before dressing in the clothes Hughes left out for him. Never before had he experienced such kindness.

Then again, Roy had limited memories of what happened to him from the time he woke up alone in the city's dark, abandoned alleyways. It was as though life for him started from that time he opened his eyes. Yet that could not be true for he was a grown man. What happened in the past that Roy could not remember? Were they painful memories? Pleasant ones? Perhaps it was not time for him to recall just yet. Either way he felt so safe and secure around Hughes and Elysia, as though they were puzzle pieces that fit in the fragments of his hazy past.

As Roy left the bath room he nearly tripped on his namesake.

"MEOW."

"There you are Royal! I was looking all over for you!" Elysia scrambled over and picked up the squirming bundle. She nuzzled his face with her own. "Roy the little kitty meet Roy the big kitty!"

Roy smiled and stroked the kitten's soft black fur. It looked a bit irritated at Elysia but made no attempts to jump out of her arms nor scratch her.

"So his name is Royal? Or Roy for short?"

"I don't remember his full name, papa does! His name starts with Royal. I just call him Roy. Since you're our new kitty I'll go back to calling him Royal!" She reasoned and gave Royal a kiss. Lifting his paw, she used it to wave 'hello' to the bigger Roy.

"Elysia! Royal! Time for dinner!"

"I notice your father is calling the kitten Royal as well." The trio walked into the kitchen where they were greeted by savory roast and steamed vegetables. Eager to eat, they sat down and watched as Hughes cut a few slices of beef and plated them.

"Ewww! Papa, I don't like greenies."

"Hissss!" Royal seemed to agree with her.

"See Papa!! Royal hates them too."

"Don't think I haven't noticed you trying to feed your vegetables to him." Hughes laughed, spooning a healthy pile of green beans onto Elysia's plate. She made a face and pouted, trying to coax the kitten into taking a bite out of the offensive stringy green thing.

"Little girls become princesses faster if they eat vegetables." Roy said as an incentive to her.

"Is that true Papa??"

"Yes, it is…" Hughes begrudgingly felt grateful towards Roy once she started eating her greens with renewed vigor. "The princesses who finish all the foods on their plate get dessert too!"

The phone rang as soon as Hughes attempted to start eating his own meal. He quietly excused himself and went to answer. Watching from the darkness of his living room, while listening to a familiar voice from work drone on the phone, he saw Roy and Elysia giggling over some silly conversation. Hughes felt his stomach churn out of jealously. Hunger pains as well.

"Hey Hughes! Can you be bothered to even listen to me??" his co-worker grumbled over the phone.

"Not really. I was in the middle of eating dinner now. You know better than to call during my quality Elysia time." he mumbled darkly, still spying on Roy befriending his sweet little princess.

"Thanks for paying attention, especially after I worked hard to secure the information you've been trying to get your grubby hands on. Besides, you told me I could call anytime I wanted to if I found what you were looking for."

"My hands aren't grubby! I didn't think you could pull it off and get the details I've been searching for. What could you possibly say that's remotely significant to the cases I'm covering aside from the ones we share?"

"Oh. I have lots to say that you'll find very important. Now, as I said before, we found the whereabouts of where your wife was possibly kept. We found remnants of burned photographs in warehouse by the docks. Seedier parts of town if you get my drift. I know that I said before no information was going to be shared with you but…"

"Say no more!! I'm coming in right now!" Hughes reached over to grab his overcoat. He stopped halfway after remembering too quickly that he had an unwanted guest over. "Wait, I'll be over after I take care of my daughter."

"Take your time Hughes. No rush. I'll be waiting at the usual pub."

He hung up the phone and proceeded to call his most reliable neighbor. She was always willing to stop by, mostly as a last minute babysitter. Still, even with the babysitter around, he was clueless about what to do with the homeless stranger. Perhaps he had to drag Roy along with him. Deciding that was the best course of action, he returned back to the dining room.

"Papa has to step out for some police business."

"Awwww! Why Papa?? You just got home!"

"No worries your favorite older sister is coming over soon to take care of you. I want you to lock the door and wait until she knocks, understand?" she nodded dejectedly at his commands.

"Can Roy stay too? We can play kings and princesses!" Elysia had wandered over to the doorway, where Hughes was rummaging through the coat closet.

"No. He can't. He's coming with me." Hughes grabbed a spare peacoat he had long outgrown and handed it to Roy. "Go finish your dinner and feed Royal too. After that wait in your bedroom until the babysitter arrives."

The little girl sighed but obeyed, walking back to the table with the little kitten trailing after her. Roy, whom wandered over with her, had looked a bit disappointed, but what did he expect? This was certainly not his home nor was their an option to stay for a longer duration. He was thankful for tonight. There was no reason left to overstay his welcome.

"Thank you for your kindness. I will take my leave. I know how to get back to my alley." Roy bowed and began to unlock and open the door. "You should stay with Elysia until the sitter arrives."

"Wait," Hughes stopped him. "We can walk out together. I know she will be here quickly to take care of my daughter. I am not worried."

"Heh. Does that mean you're not worried about her, but for me?"

"Don't push your luck. Let's get going." Hughes turned away quickly to hide his embarrassed flush. He strangely felt a soft spot for the man and wanted to make sure at least he made it to a shelter safely. The two walked off after saying goodnight to Elysia and securing the door.

Neither spoke to the other as they walked through the town, during the brisk twilight. The street lights gently illuminated their faces. It was peaceful and Roy enjoyed the company. Hughes on the other hand, felt slightly awkward but said nothing. Roy couldn't contain his grin when he saw how the uncomfortable the other man looked. Their night time stroll was cut short once Hughes ushered Roy into a small coffee shop.

"Oh? So was the business call just a ruse? Was it a fake call that allowed us a chance for a romantic stroll and now a date at a nice little café? I knew from the looks of you, that you were quite the romantic!"

"W-wha—NO!" the straight laced papa sputtered. "You. Wait here while I attend to business! I just don't want you freezing to death on my watch. It's bad karma."

Roy sat down, not bothering to order anything until Hughes came over with a hot cup of coffee. Once setting it down in front of the other man, he took his leave. After hearing his fellow officer relay about the chilling photographs and warehouse, Hughes' determination returned. He would discover what had become of his Gracia even if the details would be hard to swallow. The glow from one of the famous bars where most of the police spent their time after investigations beckoned him. There he would begin to unravel the mystery.

Sitting in the back booth was his blond co-worker, with a freshly lit cigarette dangling from his mouth.

"Yo! Took you long enough. Were you on a date?" Jean Havoc was an officer recently transferred into his precinct. He took an immediate liking to Hughes and both liked to tease the other on a daily basis. Through the chain smoker, Hughes found a chance to be light-hearted again. It was obviously a joke about the date, but Hughes wondered if the other man knew how close to the truth he might have been.

"No, why would you think that?" taking off his glasses, Hughes groaned. "No matter. Hand over the information."

"Sure." he hesitated. Hughes was a force to be reckoned with, especially in his hyper investigation mode.

"What are you waiting for? Hand it over."

"Well, only if you promise to help me track down the person in this photo." Havoc pointed out whom he was searching for to his colleague.

Hughes ripped the picture from Havoc's hand. He stared then with an odd sense of calm, he responded.

"I know this man. I rescued him from the streets today. Who is he really... and why is he beside my wife?"

_To be continued…_

_- - -_

Cue thuper duper dramatical musics. DUN DUN DUNNNNN. Is that the sound of the plot thickening?

Thank you for sticking around! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Seasons with Orpheus**

By: _gianduja_

**Disclaimer**: Obviously the characters are not mine. Credit to Hiromu Arakawa and fma.

**Summary**: After losing his wife to a series of kidnappings and murders, Hughes dedicated his love and time to his young daughter. However once his daughter finds a stranger she dubs as a 'kitten' for their family to adopt, Hughes finds himself feeling odd and unexpected feelings of déjà vu. While trying to solve the mystery of his wife's death, Hughes must figure out when and where he once knew this other man.

- - -

The sun had already set by the time Roy's boss had given up his search for his missing 'Mustang'. By the building where Roy normally waited around stood a man in a lab coat over a worn suit. He shut his eyes tightly, fighting back a headache while fumbling with the door keys. When he finally managed to enter, the exhausted man was roughly greeted with a punch to the gut. Doubling over onto the floor he looked up at his assailant.

"B-boss! Wh-what are you doing here?" he managed to cough out.

"Surprised?" the attacker responded with a malicious smile.

What ensued next was a rough beating for the man and if you dared to stand close enough yelling could be heard through the cracked windows of the dilapidated building. Judging from the sounds of the fray, no one could be bothered enough to look in to either assist or eavesdrop.

The sound of something heavy hitting the wall resounded through the inside of the room. An unshaven and nervous man cowered in the corner beside a broken chair that was thrown at him just a moment ago. The object missed its mark as a warning. However, another chair was lifted and ready to be thrown. This one seemed to promise it would hit him with tremendous force.

"W-wait!! Let me explain!! I thought that releasing him outside to interact with other people would benefit the experiment!!" the man who employed Roy or 'Mustang' was attempting to talk his own boss out of whatever horrors he was planning next. In response the chair hit the floor with a loud thud. He was then hauled onto his feet and punched back to the ground.

"It would have been beneficial to keep him locked up indoors. That is why I brought him to you in the first place. Did you stop to think if others caught wind of our experiments and shared the same ideas? You're a fool, Tucker."

"B-but sir, when I let out Mustang he must have resonated with someone. Even if it was a reckless decision at least something good came out of it! And I've yet to see him generate the same energy that he has since meeting this person. I can't find out who it was. I'm sure that you've already inspected the package I had him send your secretary."

"Indeed I have and was pleasantly surprised at the contents. However I had hoped the person was one of the many clients you have brought in, rather than it being a complete stranger."

Shou Tucker's boss was beginning to feel less irate after smacking him around a bit and more intrigued than anything. He slid out a silver pocket watch from the battered manila envelope delivered to him. It was a simple but heavy pocket watch that bore on the cover an emblem of a horned lion with a fish tail. Simple as it may be, on the inside there was a different story to it. The watch was flipped open and then turned on its side.

There was a hidden panel to the watch that could be accessed with a tiny, almost unnoticeable switch that could be opened with an item as thin as a pin. Once opened there was intricate wiring attached to many finely tuned generators. These encased a thin vial filled with red liquid.

"I managed to find a way to harness the energy Mustang creates inside of his body by using these watches," Tucker held up another one for emphasis. "It was difficult to get him to release his powers at first. It was like he never had them to begin with! The men hired to touch him never made any sparks so to speak… so I was surprised that some random human influenced Mustang this much."

The vial was pulled out of the watch and rubbed between gloved fingers. Tucker watched as his boss pulled off a glove. On the palms of his hands were cyclic symbols that reminded him of Mustang's own. The symbols were not identical in pattern or color, but both held the same massive power and destruction. It was then Tucker realized who he was dealing with. Not a simple energy dealing and management business man, but a weapons dealer.

With one hand uncovered, the man gripped the vial tightly in his fist. Fire burst from his closed hand and his circular design glowed slightly. The reaction was immediate. Tucker shrunk back in fear.

"Ah, I remember this energy signature." The man had a cruel smile on his face. "It reminds me of that lady I slaughtered for fun."

"Oh. Right," Tucker mirrored the same smile on his face. "The one featured in the news a while back, huh? They never found the killer."

"I plan on letting whoever is refueling Mustang live out their useful life until our workhorse is fully charged." The vial was still being clutched in the palm of the man's glowing fist.

"See, it wasn't so bad letting him roam around." Tucker held up the watch again for better emphasis. His boss seemed vaguely impressed. "After all, the only thing he was good for before was having men grope him for a small fee… now there's another reason to keep him around, right? And me too, of course, since I created these devices."

The simpering seemed to go unheard as the man pressed the vial back into watch and slid his glove back on. Tucker tried not to let out a sigh of relief just yet, but was thankful that his boss finally decided to leave him unharmed.

"In the future, if you find it necessary to bring in more clients, have them come here. I would rather not have him going to them. Where is our prized stallion anyway?"

"A-about that, sir…" Tucker swallowed nervously.

"Nevermind... I'm in the mood for a hunt," the man looked thoughtfully at the pocket watch in his hand. "I'll send out one of your hounds first to sniff him out."

_To be continued..._

- - -

Despite the setbacks and cheesiness I hope it was worth the wait. Chapter 3 was stubborn as ever and had to be rewritten SEVERAL times. Chapter 4 is on its way. I mean it this time!! I give a HUGE thanks to all the people who review and put this story on their alerts!! PLEASE Pardon the cheesy villains (and even cheesier storyline). In fact, it is ALLL SO MACn'CHEESY. Just how I like it! I left out the name of the other villain for now. It's so "thuper sekrit" …hahaha... not really.


	4. Chapter 4

**Seasons with Orpheus**

By: _gianduja_

**Disclaimer**: Obviously the characters are not mine. Credit to Hiromu Arakawa and fma.

**Summary**: After losing his wife to a series of kidnappings and murders, Hughes dedicated his love and time to his young daughter. However once his daughter finds a stranger she dubs as a 'kitten' for their family to adopt, Hughes finds himself feeling odd and unexpected feelings of déjà vu. While trying to solve the mystery of his wife's death, Hughes must figure out when and where he once knew this other man.

- - -

Roy stifled a yawn as he lazily stared out the window. All the while wondering where Hughes could have disappeared off to. Supposedly on 'police business,' but how valid could that statement be? It seemed that the handsome single father did not plan on returning for him. Though he should have left earlier Roy still waited patiently. It was rare for this realist to give into wishful thinking. At least he should finish the coffee Hughes kindly treated him to before heading out. It certainly smelled wonderful. Behind him he could hear the lady, who owned this cozy shop, going about her chores. It was a soothing background noise that aided him while he drifted off deeper into his passing thoughts.

_Who could he be meeting this late at night? It seems too late in the evening to be out on official business. He's probably off seeing some beautiful mother figure for Elysia. I certainly don't make a proper mother for anyone. Heh. Don't I sound like some love struck idiot? How embarrassing... _He shook his head with a laugh.

Outside the city square was filled with a surprisingly good amount of people. Everyone was still out enjoying the night. If Roy could only let go of these unwarranted feelings and join them, he'd make every effort to forget about Hughes. Easier said or thought than done...

Despite having met not too long ago, there was this longing that stirred inside of Roy each time Hughes was nearby. It felt difficult to explain and intangible at best but strangely these emotions managed to remain. It was frustrating to say the least to be reduced to a flirty mess around the police officer. Not to mention it would be a wasted effort to try and woo such a target. The end result would not be pleasant. Hughes was not one to be 'wooed'. Roy snickered to himself at the very thought of pursuing the taller man with chocolates and fresh flowers.

Hughes was not the least bit attracted to him, going as far to wrinkle his nose in distaste at each flirty look and teasing gesture Roy aimed at him. Imagine the looks of sheer panic and fear that Roy would invoke if he truly decided to 'woo' Hughes? A wide smirk was mirrored back at Roy from his reflection in the window. Coughing, he lifted up the mug of cooling coffee to hide his silly and inappropriate grin.

It was time to be serious about the jumbled thoughts regarding this police officer turned strange, reluctant savior. Questions were in order. Such as, where did these feelings come from? True, there were many splendid characteristics to rave about. After all, the subject at hand was quite handsome from his sharp golden eyes to the stubble that graced his chiseled face. The father of one cute Elysia was tall, nicely built, and had a confident swagger to him. She had to get her adorable looks and daring personality from somewhere.

Just summoning the very image of him made Roy feel warm inside. His hands felt all tingly especially. A bit too tingly. Staring down suspiciously at them, Roy gingerly began to unwrap the bandages that were tied loosely around his left hand. From the time he met Hughes and Elysia his body temperature had been steadily rising. He had been worried that it was due to infection or fever. Yet there was nothing that could cause such a reaction.

With a firm tug the white gauze came off. What was hidden underneath bothered Roy a great deal. He stared at his hands nervously and quickly re-bandaged them as quickly as he could manage. His hands always felt strangely much warmer than the rest of his body.

_W-why did these symbols reappear on my hands? Where have I seen it before...? _Roy was so lost in thought. He could barely finish his coffee. Mentally he began to review what had happened to him thus far.

Some time had passed from the moment Roy woke up alone and wounded in an underground tunnel. When he finally gathered enough strength, Roy explored the perimeters of the sewer. There was a ladder that led up to an abandoned warehouse. He stayed there for a few more days, finding the accommodations far warmer and better than where he originally woke up. Soon after that he was taken in by a strange, quiet man by the name of Shou Tucker. He offered him free housing and a fair bit of cash in exchange for odd jobs, in addition to a few back alley other sort of jobs (hands, mouths, whatever) with specially picked clients.

Occasionally, when he felt endangered by these men, the outline of a two red circles, one bordering inside of the other, would appear on the tops of both his left and right hands. His hands would then feel as though they were on fire. The flames would never hurt him however, but serve as a warning to those who intended to attack. Besides, the men never dared to press their luck and harm him. The chance to test out whatever ammunition that was lurking underneath his skin never occurred. Tucker must have briefed the men to leave him unharmed for the most part.

Thinking back to the circles, Roy thought at first that they were tattoos or a branding mark, but once they disappeared he had to rethink his theory. He didn't dare pass them off as birthmarks. The appearance was far too perfect and symmetrical on each hand to be a blemish or birthmark. Plus they would always disappear after the threats went away. As a protective measure Roy tried to wear gloves or bandages to cover up the unnatural markings.

Feeling self-conscious, Roy tucked his hands into his coat pockets. Looking at everything but his hands, a white and red blur caught Roy's attention from the corner of his eye. Turning to look out the window he saw a familiar dog trotting closer to the shop.

"Nina..." He let out a small gasp as the entourage following the animal came closer. A soft tinkling chimed from the bell attached above the door, signaling new arrivals.

"You guys didn't believe me, but I knew I was right!" one of Roy's former clients laughed. "I knew it was the one and only Mustang sitting around here in this dump!"

In response, Roy stood up and wrapped himself in the coat given to him by Hughes, already feeling safer in it. He wanted to leave before things got out of hand.

"Is that anyway to greet us, when we've all had you before? You were late in coming to see me. What would your boss think if he knew one of his best sat around idly instead of servicing?" another one of the men spoke. The source of Roy's annoyance continued to lean closer to him. He leered appreciatively.

Looking to the side of the stranger, Roy could see the shopkeeper's nervous glances. Judging by her reaction, she wanted everyone out as soon as possible.

"I have the parcel I was supposed to deliver to you. Today I was too busy to bring it to you." Roy said in an even tone. He hated being called Mustang when a nicer name was given to him. He whipped out a manila envelope and shoved it at the man beside him. The person threw it to the ground with great disinterest.

"That's not what I want. I want you to show me something else." the man sneered.

"Listen, I was only told to give this to you," Roy gradually stepped away from the group of men, attempting to get closer to the door. "The other servicing requires an extra fee. I doubt any of you can afford it. After all, I think Tucker cut everyone a deal the first time you had the chance to cop a feel. A freebie if you will."

"Why you little shi--" the aggressor was stopped by a man Roy did not recognize. This person had not spoken yet and was possibly the ring leader sent to bring him back to Tucker; a man with spiked hair, dark sunglasses and a fur collared vest. "Fine. You deal with the Mustang and put him in his place then!"

With more bravado than he felt, Roy smirked with a look that dared them to fight back. Immediately, he was forcibly dragged from the seating area by their leader. The man shoved Roy on the floor and stomped on his hands, followed by a swift kick to the ribs. Roy coughed painfully.

The bandages on Roy's hands began to unravel. They were loosened by the sharp grooves under the man's heavy boots. One of the long strands slipped loose and revealed part of a circles that would appear atop of Roy's pale hands. The stranger hauled Roy up into a standing position as he stared at what was hidden behind the gauze bandages. Roy blinked blearily and gave a sharp intake of breath as triangular hourglass-like figures began to appear in each circle. He never saw them before. This did not bode well... he did not dare use whatever hidden powers he had in front of an innocent civilian. They had to leave the premises.

Behind the counter the shopkeeper watched with a worried look. She dropped a tea set when the men continued to attack. With a shaky balance, Roy attempted to stand and back away.

"If a fight is what you want, at least wait until we are back at home base." Roy clutched his throbbing hand to his chest. It felt as though it were on fire from where that belligerent moron stepped on him.

"I never thought you were ever going to get down to business, Mustang. I need to get paid and the only way that'll happen is if I bring you back." the ring leader grinned. He turned to look cruelly at the shopkeeper. "I was about to give up on you and just kill the witness watching all of this, no offense lady."

"You wouldn't..." Roy could not stop from grimacing.

"Not if you come with us quietly." the leader grinned. With a defeated sigh, Roy followed the men out and spared a small smile at the large dog named Nina, who helplessly watched and then followed along with a soft whine.

_To be continued..._

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Hurray! Now I must haul butt on Chapter 5 and 6! Anyone wants to help me brainstorm/beta/flush out the retardation, please drop a line! If not, I'll still be fine as I truck along with the ideas and writings eventually. Thanks again for tuning in!


	5. Chapter 5

**Seasons with Orpheus**

By: _gianduja_

**Disclaimer**: Obviously the characters are not mine. Credit to Hiromu Arakawa and fma.

**Summary**: After losing his wife to a series of kidnappings and murders, Hughes dedicated his love and time to his young daughter. However once his daughter finds a stranger she dubs as a 'kitten' for their family to adopt, Hughes finds himself feeling odd and unexpected feelings of déjà vu. While trying to solve the mystery of his wife's death, Hughes must figure out when and where he once knew this other man.

- - -

Havoc could barely keep up with Hughes as he rushed back to the café where Roy was supposedly waiting. When they arrived the stranger in the photographs was missing and the place had turned into a crime scene. The owner watched the slightly bewildered looks on their faces as they entered with a similar expression. Fellow officers from the same precinct were busy examining the area. Havoc recognized all of the men and waved over a short, bespectacled young man with dark hair.

"What in the world happened here, Officer Fuery?" the tall blond muttered while looking at the mess of shattered cups on the floor and overturned tables.

"The lady called in a disturbance. She described it as a band of crude thugs beating up some innocent wanderer." he read off his clipboard.

"Do you think this 'wanderer' could have been the date you dropped off here earlier?" Havoc turned to look at Hughes with a grin. As expected Maes was certainly _not _amused by his friend's attempts at joking.

"He was NOT my date. You know I have better taste than that," he rolled his eyes in response before walking off in the direction where the lady was being interviewed. "I intend to show the shopkeeper the photograph to see if it was indeed him."

She let out a long, unburdened sigh of relief when Hughes smiled and greeted her. Despite the small crowd of police that had gathered around, the shopkeeper was still frightened and unwilling to open up entirely to anyone but Hughes and Havoc.

"Ma'am, what seems to be the problem?" Havoc prompted her. She leaned in close to the pair.

"These horrible, _horrible _men came in and hurt that poor young man you brought in earlier," She spoke to Hughes, ignoring the blond officer. It was obvious that the lady was scared for Roy. "I was worried for myself as well so I called for reinforcements. I was mostly hoping you would come back for him. Thank goodness you two arrived... but I hope you aren't too late."

"Hurt him?" the blond officer frowned and the lady nodded. Fuery rushed over and began scribbling down quietly what she relayed.

"So you were saying the person I left here was being attacked? If you saw him again would you be able to recognize him?" Hughes asked then showed her the picture of Gracia and the missing perpetrator or victim in this case, otherwise known as Roy the Mustang at this point. "Can you confirm that he matches the person in this photograph?"

"Ah yes! That is him! Please tell me that you will help him?"

"Yes we plan on it. Do you happen to know where he went?" Havoc asked, feeling a tad bit annoyed that Hughes was not worried about Roy's welfare. He took a deep breath and tried not to let his feelings show. There was no reason to blame his friend because Hughes' mind was dedicated to solving Gracia's disappearance. Not Roy's...

"If you two want to go it'd be okay." Fuery added meekly. "The two other officers and I should be able to clean this scene up."

"Thanks!" Havoc said, reaching over to ruffle Officer Fuery's hair as though were an obedient pup. Meanwhile Maes was grilling the owner for more details.

"Any direction would be of great use!" Hughes gripped the photograph in his hands and tried to act as calmly as he could. With the most winsome smile he could manage Hughes tried to coax the worried shopkeeper. "Did he go out the door left towards the park or right to the train station?"

"I... I'm not sure. I ran into the backroom to get away from them. They were beating him up pretty badly... but I'll try." she wrung her hands together. Then her eyes lit up with faint recognition, "I remember vaguely... that their footsteps seemed to sound as though they were trailing off left."

This vague and insignificant lead was more than enough for him. In a frenzied need to find the man beside his wife in the photograph and divulge any information about Gracia, Hughes ran off before his friend could follow. Normally one for more concrete information the bereft man was set off into full investigation mode by an aged photograph. To him this haggard pseudo-streetwalker could be his only hope for avenging his dearly departed wife.

"Thanks again for your help, ma'am!" the blond officer yelled as he hurried to catch up with his irritatingly fast colleague. He grumbled and did not bother to light up the cigarette that he desperately craved. "Hey!! Wait up!! You know I can't keep up with you sometimes!"

"Who's fault is it but your own for smoking?" Hughes gritted looking every direction to see where Roy could have disappeared off to. He hated to admit it but Roy was shaping up to be just like Elysia had dubbed him to be...a crafty kitten.

"I can't believe you'd just run out without verifying for sure that she was right!"

"I believe her. I go to that café often and she's never lied before. Why start now? Besides, she looked downright unnerved to be asked. Obviously that scoundrel left with men that with made her feel uncomfortable."

"_Scoundrel_? That word is still used in conversations? You sound like an old man..."

"It's a appropriate word for that-- that-- I can't be bothered with this right now. Where is he?!" Hughes slowed down at an intersection by the park. It was very late at night and hardly anyone was around. It would be easy to locate a group of men wandering about.

"Well, at the rate you're running we may just catch him! He couldn't have gotten too far if he just walked out." Havoc rested his arm on Hughes' shoulder. His lungs were heaving from running too fast and far.

They were in luck for Havoc's intuition was indeed correct. Shivering despite the coat given to him, Roy walked back slowly to the seedier part of town accompanied by a group of men. The streets were quieter around this time of night with few people out. A few blocks prior, Hughes slowed down his pace as to not alert the rather large group while Havoc followed his steps. The mob had the shorter and exhausted man surrounded. Roy was clutching at a wounded shoulder.

A man dressed in a vest with a white fur lined collar was speaking quietly to Roy. The response must not have been the desire one because he received another harsh beating after speaking. Hughes dragged his friend behind a brick building, planning how to ambush these men.

"We need back up but I'm sure we can take them out. I'm armed and ready." Hughes muttered with an almost maniacal glint in his sharp, golden eyes. His hands were on his holster already. The blond was seeing another side of his friend and partner, one that was quite bloodthirsty and brainless.

"I'm not sure this is one of your finer ideas, Mr. Strategy. We better head back and at least get Fuery or Breda or someone else to help us." Havoc responded with a worried expression. His eyes narrowed as he spotted something glowing in both Roy's hands. It looked as though he was clutching a bomb that was about to detonate. Some of the men figured what was coming next and ran off. The remaining few were not as fortunate. Havoc was one of the men that anticipated what was about to happen. "Oh NO. Not now... Hughes, get down!"

Before they could detain anyone in the group, a huge explosion occurred in the direction where Roy and the others stood. Fortunately the two officers were a safe distance away and sheltered by an aged but sturdy structure. It was an astonishing sight to see when the smoke slowly cleared by where Roy stood.

"Damnit! He's gotta be dea--" Hughes growled but stopped when he saw Roy and whatever was left of the group on the ground passed out but not burnt to death. The two investigators calmly and cautiously approached. "It must have been a poorly constructed bomb. Could he be the arsonist we've been searching for?"

"I doubt it..." Havoc knelt beside Roy with a sad expression on his face. The man coughed and let out a pained groan. Behind them police cars were rushing to the scene. Lights were on in the windows surrounding the area. Strangers peered out from open shutters watching the scene unfold. Someone amongst the group must have called for help.

"L-let go of me..." Roy attempted to sit up and get away from the unfamiliar blond man.

Watching this silently from the side, Hughes could barely contain himself. Without giving his partner a second thought the man bereft of a wife charged at Roy. Angrily he grabbed Roy up from the ground. The shorter man gasped, barely able to speak. He was shocked at receiving such violent actions from the man who had yet to raise a hand to him despite how irritating he'd been earlier.

"Look carefully at these photos! You are in them!! Do you recognize this lady?"

The photographs were shoved in Roy's face. Pulling them back and away, Hughes gave him a chance to look over them carefully before answering. No recognition flashed in Roy's dark eyes. He did look thoroughly haunted at seeing his very likeness, though his alter ego was sharply dressed in a military uniform, reflected back at him in the slightly burnt pictures.

"N-no. While that person may look like me, you _truly _are mistaken. That couldn't be me and most importantly... I _swear _that I don't know her!!"

"Don't lie to me!" he roughly shook Roy. The man who was usually full of flirts and smirks looked unnerved and slightly terrified at the enraged officer. He weakly tried to get away from Hughes.

"Hey! Calm down!" Havoc attempted to pull his normally level-headed colleague off of Roy. At the sight of the blond, Roy recoiled and slunk back to the ground. Hughes stepped back with an angry snort when the police sirens stopped and the cars were parked nearby. The same officers that handled the crime scene at the café had arrived.

They each handcuffed and hauled away the unconscious men that bothered the shopkeeper and attacked Roy. The victim in this case was also taken to the station for questioning in a separate car. Hughes watched from the side as this happened. Tomorrow he would find out more about this man referred to as 'Mustang.' Beside him Havoc stood quietly and nervously shuffled his nearly empty box of cigarettes.

_To be continued..._

- - -

_A MASSIVE Thanks goes to Ranma Matsuri for being the beta reader!! _

I finally managed to create an outline for the story and how it shall end. Approximately six or more chapters to go! As always, thanks for tuning in!! I notice there are people from all over the world coming to read! That makes me super elated! Probably bc I've read/watched too much Hetalia. The creator is a MAD GENIUS for slashing countries together!!


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